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State of Health The Florida Hospital Blog

Debunking Myths behind Organ Donation

POSTED BY: Leslie PotterApril 17, 2012

The gift of organ donation saves lives every day, and would not exist without the generosity of organ donors and their families. Dr. Michael Angelis, who is the surgical director of transplant services at the Florida Hospital Transplant Institute, addresses some common misconceptions on organ donation:
MYTH:
It’s too much paperwork and too complicated to be an organ donor.
FACT:
People aren’t aware of how to be an organ donor and are unsure of the process. All that is needed to be an organ donor is to designate yourself on your driver’s license or online. If you would like to register to be a donor go to: http://www.donatelifeflorida.org, the process is quick and simple. Through Donate Life America and Donate Life Florida currently there are 100 million U.S. adults on the organ donor registries.
MYTH:
I’m too old to be an organ donor.
FACT:
Even though there is a higher probability of not using organs, people in their 80’s have been organ and tissue donors.
MYTH
If you are an organ donor, doctors won’t do everything they can to save your life if you have an emergency because they want to use your organs for someone else.
FACT:
“As health care professionals, our responsibilities lie first with the patients we treat,” said Dr. Angelis. “We will do everything in our power to help our patients, and I think every physician holds that same mentality.”
April is Donate Life Month, and the Florida Hospital Transplant Institute works very closely with our Organ Procurement Organization, Translife to help promote organ donation and encourage people to become organ donors. There are currently close to 4,000 people awaiting organ transplants in the State of Florida. If you would like more information on organ donation or to learn more about our program visit: www.FHtransplant.com.